Book Nook - Waiting for Max: A NICU Story

 One in ten babies in the U.S. will spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), yet there are few picture books that reflect this reality—especially from the perspective of the siblings who are waiting at home. Waiting for Max: A NICU Story (The Collective Book Studio/Hardcover/October 21, 2025), written by first-time author Emily Rosen and illustrated by Esther Diana, fills that important gap with tenderness, imagination, and hope.

 

In Waiting for Max, readers meet Louise, a spirited big sister eagerly awaiting the arrival of her baby brother. But when Max is born earlier than expected, he must stay in the NICU until he’s strong enough to come home. While Louise navigates the confusing and emotional wait, she uses her vivid imagination to dream up ways to bring Max home faster.

Inspired by Emily Rosen’s own experience with her son’s 16-day stay in the NICU, Waiting for Max is a deeply personal, yet widely relatable book for siblings, parents, and caregivers. It helps children understand and process what happens when a new baby needs extra care before joining the family at home.

 

“Every day during Max’s NICU stay, we brought a picture book to read to him,” Emily says. “It was one of the only ‘normal’ things we could do as new parents. But I struggled to find stories that reflected what we were going through. So, I decided to write one.”

 

While grounded in a specific experience, Waiting for Max is a universal story of love, resilience, and sibling connection. It celebrates the ways children cope with change, uncertainty, and hope—making it a resonant read for all families.

 

Whether for siblings, cousins, classmates, or young friends, Waiting for Max helps explain the unfamiliar sights and sounds of the NICU—from feeding tubes to beeping monitors—through the creative and comforting lens of childhood imagination.

“The 16 days my son Max was in the NICU were some of the hardest of my life. Because all I wanted was for him to come home. I wrote Waiting for Max for the families, and specifically the older siblings, cousins, and more who feel the same way I did, and have trouble understanding why their baby isn’t coming home.”

 

For parents balancing the heartbreak of a baby in the NICU and the hope of a sibling waiting at home, Waiting for Max offers a much-needed and timely story of love, patience, and the strength of family — reflecting the reality faced by over 350,000 families in the U.S. each year.

 

Emily will donate a portion of the book’s proceeds, along with copies of Waiting for Max, to NICU hospitals and nonprofit organizations across the country—offering comfort, connection, and a reminder to families that they are not alone.

 

 

 

 

“Waiting for Max removes the fear and uncertainty of the unknown and gives young children solid ground in understanding the newest member of their family.”

James Fritzell Jr., MD, Medical Director NICU and Chairman of Pediatrics at Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA

 

Waiting for Max: A NICU Story is available for preorder now and releases nationwide on October 21, 2025—just in time for Prematurity Awareness Month in November and following NICU Awareness Month in September.  

 

About the Author

Emily Rosen is a mom, a freelance creative director and copywriter, and a first time children’s book author. She has built her career working for top advertising agencies and brands and strives to use her creativity for good––especially to empower women, mothers, and kids. Inspired by her son Max’s time in the NICU, she wrote her first children’s book to help families like hers. When Emily’s not writing, she loves going for a run around the neighborhood, singing karaoke with friends, and reading to her two kids. Proudly born and raised in Cleveland, OH, she now lives in Los Angeles, CA, with her husband and their family. Learn more about Emily and her work at emilyrosencreative.com and follow her on Instagram @emilyrosencreative.

 

About the Illustrator

Esther Diana is a freelance children’s illustrator based in Madrid, Spain, originally from Seville, where she studied Fine Arts at the University of Seville. After completing studies in the UK and Italy, she began her career as a concept artist in the game industry. Esther has since illustrated books and children's products, working primarily in digital formats while enjoying sketching and blending digital and traditional techniques. A lover of art, books, and libraries, she finds inspiration in nature and countryside walks. In her free time, she enjoys the company of her family and her lovely ginger cat.

 

The Collective Book Studio is a woman-owned, full-service publishing studio that works with authors, brands, and companies to create, develop, and publish high-quality books. With a focus on innovative content and striking design, The Collective Book Studio offers a unique approach to the publishing process, providing clients with expertise and collaborative support from concept to creation.

 

The Collective Book Studio is an independent press based in Oakland, CA.. Their books are distributed by Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages. For more information, visit www.simonandschuster.com